Organ donation

  • Deceased Donation (Donating organs after your death)

    • One single organ donor can save as many as eight lives.

    • You can sign up online through the national Donate Life America website or call your DMV to designate your wishes about donation.

    • 54% of Vermonters are already registered as donors.

    • It is extremely important to let your loved one know about your wishes as family members are asked to give consent for a loved one’s donation.

    • One American dies nearly every hour waiting for a transplant.

  • Living kidney donation

    • You can consider being a living donor, where a living person can donate an organ or part of an organ to someone in need of a transplant.

    • Living donors are often close family member or friend. You can also donate anonymously.

    • The most common organ given by living donor is kidney. Parts of liver, lung and pancreas can also be transplanted from living donors. 

    • To be a living donor, you should be 18 years or older, have good physical and mental health and good kidney function. You should not have uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes or cancer.

    • On an average a kidney from living donor will last 15 to 20 years.

    • Contact the transplant center where the intended recipient has been approved for a transplant and ask about living donation. 

Transplantation

  • Getting ready for Transplantation

    • Contact a transplant center in your area directly  or ask your kidney doctor to refer you to the transplant center. (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Albany Medical Center)

    • You will undergo an extensive and very through evaluation process which can take months to complete.

    • Once the evaluation process shows that transplant is the right choice for you, you will be placed on a transplant wait list. Average wait time is about 4 years or longer.

    • You should look for a potential living kidney donor. 

    • You should also make effort to get listed at multiple transplant centers to increase your chances of getting a suitable kidney.

  • Life after Transplantation

    • The surgery takes about four hours. You should be out of bed in a day or two and home within a week

    • You will be required to have frequent checkups and doctor visits at the transplant center. 

    • After surgery you will learn about antirejection medications and their side effects.

    • Antirejection medications suppress your immune system and prevent your body from attacking the donated kidney. You will take these medications for the rest of your life. 

    • Anti-rejection medications lowers your immune system and increases your risk for infection and cancer. You will also be at a higher risk for developing diabetes after transplant.

    • It is common to have anxiety and depression after transplantation. 

    • Many people return to work after eight to ten weeks after surgery

    • You should avoid raw, undercooked meat, poultry, fish, egg, unpasteurized milk. Also avoid unwashed raw vegetables and salads. Refer to Food safety booklet for transplant patients for more details